


Sunsets in Wakanda

by Fearain



Category: Black Panther (2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Black Panther (2018) Spoilers, Bucky in Wakanda, Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, Extended Scene, Fluff, Gen, Hair Braiding, M/M, Meditation, Memory Games of the Good Kind, Peaceful, Post-Black Panther (2018), Shuri and Bucky Friendship, Shuri the Masterbrain, Stucky if you squint, Sunsets, infinity war who?, let them be happy, this is what we need and we are all in denial
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-20 23:06:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13727910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fearain/pseuds/Fearain
Summary: SPOILERS FOR BLACK PANTHER POST-CREDIT -- if you need the continuation of said scene, read on!Bucky Barnes in Wakanda slowly getting better with the help of Shuri and the gang of kids. Insight in the day that happened after he was woken up in the post-credit scene. Involves playing Match/Pairs/whateveryoucallit, hair braiding, landscape beauty taken in by all senses and Bucky and Steve being alive and well. As they should be.





	Sunsets in Wakanda

**Author's Note:**

> because I had to write something and Bucky was just too beautiful not to write about (the man bun tho)  
> Let me take you on an escape of the realisation that Infinity War pt 1 is only two months away & enjoy the peace and calm I hope to offer before the storm hits home...

“Good morning, Sergeant Barnes.”  
“Bucky,” he insisted.  
“How are you feeling?”, she asked.  
“Good,” he answered. “Thank you.”  
“Come on. There's much more for you to learn,” Shuri instructed. He spared a moment to take in the breathtaking view of the sun rising over the lake and plain, all his senses noting the quiet buzz of the steppe around him awaking.  
“Serg-- Bucky?”  
With a small smile he tore his gaze away and followed her into one of the larger huts. “Coming.” 

They settled down on some woven mats and after a quick shout from Shuri, the group of kids joined them. The scientist had prepared some games to help restore and strengthen his memory. This one was a two-way process for him to gain better control of his memories and for the children to learn too. A simple game matching cards with items on them, one of the pair written in English, the other in Xhosa.  
Shuri had figured that both parties benefited from learning the other language and she had come to realise Bucky behaved the calmest around the kids, instead of any adults. While they had been curious at first, wanting to know all about the strange man and why his arm was gone, they accepted their new teacher with great enthusiasm and were all too happy to laugh at him struggling with Xhosian pronunciation. 

While Shuri was running scans on which part of the Sergeant's brain reacted to which stimulation of remembering things, they happily got into the routine of spreading the cards out and finding the pairs. During the third round, a small girl got bored and pulled over a cushion to rest behind Bucky's cross-legged form. He tensed as he felt her tiny hands pull herself up his back but then took a deep breath as he felt her loosen his hairtie. She began to weave her fingers through his hair, always careful to not touch the small scanning device on his temple. 

The next time Shuri looked up from her devices, Bucky's hair was being braided in a crown around his head and since all but one boy weren't paying attention anymore, she decided to call it a day and sent them out to play. However, the girl stayed and dutifully finished her work. She held the braid in her hand and pointed with a soft “Um..,” at the hairtie that had fallen to the floor next to his knee. He reached down and passed it to her.  
Shuri hid a smile behind her datapad and watched her secure the braid and tuck it in to finish the crown-like look. Bucky thanked her with a soft smile and in broken Xhosa, smile widening as she giggled at his inelegant pronunciation.  
“Looks nice,” Shuri commented and his smile turned to her. 

~

Later they had moved their exercises to the shore of the lake where Bucky sat with his eyes closed. “Breathe, and concentrate,” Shuri began, reading from her datapad.  
“Stark Expo 1943,” she prompted and got a little frown as an answer. 

“Me, Steve, two girls I think? Howard Stark and...,” his head tilted to one side. “something about flying cars.” 

While he spoke, Shuri mentally ticked of the things on the little note Steve had written her on this event. “Great. Your memory or theirs made yours?” The question followed automatically.

“Mine. Very sure.”  
“Very good Bucky,” she praised and went on with her list, alternating between 'real memories', things that had happened before his brainwashing, helpfully provided by Steve and 'fake ones' which they knew had been put into his brain or altered by Hydra. With the help of this exercise, Bucky's own memories got clearer since he could separate them and all throughout it, Shuri's scans provided her with information on how and where the fake memories and 'programming' were planted so she could develop a final treatment for him to stop reacting to certain triggers. 

After about an hour of this, Bucky complained his head hurt and Shuri laughed at that, but nonetheless removed the little scanning device. He shot her a dirty look back, which only prompted her to laugh harder.  
“Stop that Princess, it makes you look undignified,” she got out between giggles, only to be met with another annoyed glance.  
“Wouldn't you know, _Princess_?” he retorted with a raised eyebrow.  
“Never,” she insisted and got to her feet. “Meditate. I'll see you tomorrow...Princess.”  
He bowed his head lightly and grinned up at her. “You too, Princess.” 

~

The light was falling low over the plains, illuminating the sparse trees and elongating their shadows. Dancing swarms of tiny insects filled the spots still in the sunlight and the shimmering lake reflected the orange and reds of the sky.  
The lone soldier however, was not relying on his eyes to take all this in. He had assumed his cross-legged position on the shore again, reaching out with his other senses. The soft buzzing of the mosquitoes around him, the warm earth under his palm, the distinct smell of the grass and lake, a faint note of smoke coming over from the fire next to the huts. The sun warming his skin, amplified through the reflection in the lake, only interrupted by the reed heaving in the soft breeze, casting shadows on his face.  
Footsteps, slowly approaching him, too heavy to be Shuri or the kids, at the same time unbelievably light. He willed his body to relax, no harm would ever come to him from this person.  
Bucky didn't open his eyes but could feel the warm presence sitting down next him, a hand grazing his as it found leverage on the grassy ground. 

“Looking good, Buck.”  
He could hear the smile in Steve's voice.  
“Yeah, thanks punk,” he immediately retorted and was surprised that no laugh followed, but hands in his hair for the second time this day. Steve reverently traced the braid around his head and sighed quietly.  
“No, I mean it.”  
With that Bucky opened his eyes and was about to shoot back a funny remark, but was stopped by Steve's soft, sincere eyes and his equally soft smile. He fought against the urge to duck away his head and his voice sounded all too small in his own ears. “Thanks...”  
He tore his eyes away from Steve's unwavering gaze and looked out over the lake, taking in the ever-darkening landscape. “This place is doing me good. It's simple. Peaceful. And they've got the most beautiful sunsets...”  
Steve settled down more comfortably against his side. “So I've heard.”

(Bucky didn't notice that Steve's gaze hadn't left his face, entranced by a different kind of beauty.)

**Author's Note:**

> Let them be happy forever and join me in my denial (or let us rant on twitter @dancingphanlisa) 
> 
> comments & kudos are highly appreciated!


End file.
